Repairs, Closures to Begin on Garden Grove Freeway

Work was to begin Wednesday night on a $9.4-million upgrade of the Garden Grove Freeway through several Orange County cities, Caltrans officials said.

The rehabilitation project involves the entire length of the freeway between the San Diego and Costa Mesa freeways through Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Orange, said Gail Smith, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

“It’s routine upkeep and maintenance,” Smith said. “We will be replacing slabs that have cracked and grinding the freeway. We hope people will notice a difference. Hopefully it will be a smoother ride.”

Plans also call for applying a new coat of asphalt on the shoulders and median, repaving some auxiliary lanes and sealing cracks in some bridge deck surfaces.

Work on the project is scheduled Mondays through Fridays from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and for Saturdays and Sundays from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Completion is expected by fall 2002, Smith said.

The freeway may be closed at times during construction, but all lanes and ramps will be open for morning commutes, Smith said. Nearby residents may experience some nighttime noise for short periods, she said.